The automobile and transport journey since independence
The independence story of Ghana cannot be discussed without the automobile and transport sector. The colonial Governors and other officials were travelling the country’s length and breadth in automobiles of old; and today cars remain the main means of transport. According to research, the first car to arrive in Ghana – then Gold Coast, was in 1902. The brittle and fastidious vehicle, a paraffin-fuelled and steam-driven French Gardner-Serpollet car, was intended for the Governor of the time. Since independence, Ghana’s automobile assembling industry has come to have good support from the national government - which has enabled it to become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. The transport and automobile industry currently accounts for a quarter of GDP, and this year, 2021, it is expected to account for at least 32% of GDP despite the novel coronavirus pandemic. Also, the automotive industry - which is a chief sector that can drive economic forces - has a lively economy